Trick-Or-Treat? Yeah, probably not. 

As most people know, we are in the midst of a global pandemic. With Halloween coming up, many are wondering how it will work, or if it will even happen. On Monday, September 21st, some questions were answered by the CDC, the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, as they issued new guidelines to help many families stay safe this Halloween. The guidelines include decade long traditions like pumpkin carving, all the way to newer traditions, like Trick-or-Treating. 

“The CDC’s guidance reinforces that Halloween is happening and provides inspiration for creative and safe approaches to celebrating the holiday throughout the month of October,” said John Downs, president, and CEO of the National Confectioners Association.

Before the CDC issued its guidance, plenty of states and cities already created guidelines. Gov. Gretchen Whitmer of Michigan said she won’t ban trick or treating. However, she recommends not to go out and do the traditional trick-or-treating. Los Angeles initially banned Trick-or-Treating, but then downgraded it to a recommendation. They are saying if you go trick or treating they advise to wear masks and practice using social distancing. 

Many people are coming up with safe solutions to do Halloween that would still involve Trick-or-Treating. One of the ideas was to toss candy into the yard of young children, so they don’t have to leave their house. Another trick is to make a long stick with hooks for candy buckets at the end. One Twitter user said she will be using a chute to put the candy down and into the kid’s bucket.

Obviously, people are curious about how the general population is going to end up doing these high-risk Halloween activities, like trick or treating.

 “I don’t think we’re gonna have trick or treaters because all it takes is one kid to sneeze all over a bucket of candy and the whole neighborhood has the Rona” said Matt Santangelo, senior at Rochester Adams High School, “It just isn’t worth the risks.” 

If you don’t feel comfortable going out on Halloween and trick-or-treating, there are many alternatives that you can do with friends and family. Some safe activities include going to the cider mill, going to a pumpkin patch, watching a Halloween movie, and carving pumpkins.  College football fans are lucky that a big game takes place on Halloween. Michigan will be playing Michigan State in a rivalry game at The Big House that day.

Jacob Wittkopp, a junior at Rochester Adams High School said, “On Halloween, I will be with my friends having a little get together watching the big game.” 

The game could be used as an alternative to trick-or-treating as there will most likely be little to no kids this Halloween. It will also serve as a distraction for kids who can’t go out and don’t want to watch a scary movie. 

Whatever happens this Halloween, try to make the best of it. To find safe activities and ways to celebrate Halloween this year based on levels of COVID-19 risks in your area, visit halloween2020.org.